White Shadows
by FavoriteWhiteOwl
Summary: Has the Bat Family been keeping a huge secret the whole time? Who is it they've been trying to hide? Rated T for later on! My first, so please enjoy!
1. Chapter 1

A/N Hey guys! This is my first, and I hope everyone likes it, but feel free to leave comments, suggestions, or questions! If this turns out well, I would really like to make this into a longer story! So, without further adieu..

White Shadows

No one had known about me. Well, except them and the crimms.

When I was young and I had first met them, we agreed that I should stay a secret to the rest of the heroes. It'd be safer that way. That's how it was until… I'll get to that later.

I consider myself lucky. It was only by chance that I met the first two one night. We happened to cross paths, although they had no clue I was there. I stay in the shadows. It usually helps me to surprise the crimms (my nickname for criminals) . Funny how crimms act when they find out you've been listening the whole time. It's like they try to hide the fact that they've pretty much just peed their pants!

Anyways, I watched them until they had knocked out all their bad guys. It was crazy watching them. Like watching a fight seen from a movie, but with a real threat. Every move executed perfectly, and if it wasn't, it was quickly followed through with another move and the crimms would be out before they even realized something went wrong. Not to mention the way they worked together. It's like they sensed the others move, and moved with them fluently without any breaks. And I thought I was good.

When they finished, I noticed the bigger one was hurt. Not so much that he (it looked like a guy to me) could die, just that he'd need a little better treatment than a band aid. I watched them pack up and go, quietly, although the smaller one was jumping up and down. He might've been saying something to his partner, though, cause I heard a small chuckle. I even laughed a little, even though I couldn't hear him. He just looked funny.

Unfortunately for me, while I was watching their monstrous car head out, one of the crimms I thought I had knocked out managed to crawl over to me and stab my leg. Now, I'm used to pain, it comes with the job. But this one, ohhhh boy did it hurt! While in my, so far, short experience fighting crimms, I had been slapped, punched, thrown across rooms, heck, I've even been whipped once, but I have never been stabbed! Crimms have tried to stab me, but none had been lucky. Well, until then.

I could hit myself in the head just thinking about how stupid it was to get distracted by the car. I knocked the man out again, which wasn't easy since I was still trying to keep myself conscious from the pain. I shoved the rest of the crimms with the ones the pair had taken care of. I knew the police would come to get them; I heard the big guy all it in before they left.

I got out of the building and sat on the sidewalk of the street, looking for a ride to wherever the two had gone. One of the bandanas I had taken from a crimm was wrapped tightly around my wound. The pain lessened, but not by much, and I was losing so much blood that if I didn't get somewhere quick, I'd fall unconscious right where I laid.

It didn't take long for a cab to pass by, so I quickly called it over and got in. The driver looked me over and was about to ask something when I pointed in the direction the car had gone and said that's where I wanted to go.  
"Once we're outside the city, the only thing left is Wayne Manor, you know" he said. I had never heard of "Wayne Manor" but a nagging voice in my head was telling me that it was the only place for them to have gone. I told him that that was exactly where I wanted to go. He gave me a funny look, but I ignored it and just paid attention to staying awake.

After ten minute drive, which felt more like 10 hours to me since I was still struggling to maintain consciousness, he came to a stop. He practically had to yell to get my attention, saying he couldn't go any further. I got out two twenties I had taken from one of the crimms wallets (hey, I thought it'd come in handy!) and handed them to him, hoping it was enough.

Knowing where I was, I expected him to take them greedily and say it wasn't enough, but he must have taken pity on me, cause he handed one back and said he only needed one. I thanked him, got out, and watched as he nodded and pulled away. When I looked back towards the huge manor (trust me, this thing is massive!), I found myself looking at a large gate with a "W" on it.

I managed to scale the brick wall surrounding the manor, which was no small feat since I could no longer put any pressure on one of my legs. When I got to the top, I could only sit there with my mouth gaping. I couldn't tell if it was my growing-cloudy vision or if it was real, but I couldn't see the end of the property, in any direction.

My way down, however, was not so nice as my way up.

Of course, from trying to keep myself conscious, I had worked up a sweat. So, while I was looking for something to put my foot on, my fingers slipped and I fell to the ground. Everything would have been fine if I had put my good leg down, since it really wasn't too far of a fall. But no, knowing my luck, I put my bad leg down.

Suddenly, it felt like my leg was being stabbed 20 times more while being blow-torched. Totally NOT exaggerating. I'm pretty sure people on the opposite side of the country could hear my scream; it was the only way to let out the shear agony I was feeling. I don't remember when, but I had started to cry at some point.

I'm not much of a crier, so when I found myself crying, I started to really feel lost. I felt hopeless, but mostly embarrassed. Just looking down hadn't really helped much. My leg had started to bleed much worse now, and I knew the amount of blood I had lost was at a dangerous level. I needed to get help right away.

Reluctantly, I forced myself to start crawling towards the manor, moaning and crying the whole way. I decided to stay on the soft, cool grass instead of the driveway for I knew it would hurt to much with me dragging my leg. Although my vision had gone almost completely black, I followed a light to the doorstep of the manor. It hadn't been on when I was on top of the wall, so I figured it had gone on when I fell and screamed.

Having barely enough energy to reach the doorbell, I collapsed after I heard it ring through the massive manor. As the door opened, I heard a gasp, then I saw an older man looking down at me.

With my last bit of energy and a sad attempt at a smile, I whispered "help" before I let myself pass out.


	2. Chapter 2

A/N Well, after the pretty positive feed back of the first part, please enjoy this second chapter! Feel free to leave any comments, suggestions, or questions!

White Shadows: Chapter 2

'Ugh. Uuuuugh. Wait..what the- Who's poking me?'

Trying to keep whoever it was thinking I was still asleep, I peeked my eye only a tiny bit.

"Um..hello?"

-Sigh- So much for being discrete.

I opened my eyes all the way, since my attempt at being "asleep" had obviously failed. Before acknowledging the person sitting in the chair next to my bed, I took a quick look around. Definitely not what I expected.

'Well, I guess it's better than the old warehouses I've been staying in. But still, where the HECK am I?'

The room seemed as clean as a hospital room would be, or at least what I always expected them to look like. Everything, and I mean everything, was white- the ground, the bed the cupboards. Wait.. cupboards? What would cupboards be doing in here if it was a hospital room?

That's when I noticed the curtains. They were drawn around the entire room. The door had locks on it too, and by the way it looked, it could only be locked on the outside.

'Who do they not want to see me? Are they trying to prevent me from seeing them? Or better yet, who ARE they?'

Suddenly, all the memories from the previous night came back to me. All of the feelings of hopeless came back too, so I started to get nervous. I tried to reach up to my arms as I shivered a little bit, but I couldn't get my arms up past my hips.

"Are you cold?" came from across the room, and I remembered there had been another person- or boy, in this case- in the room the whole time.

'Man, I must have looked really stupid..'

I looked over to him and felt my cheeks blush as I nodded. He got up and went over to a thermostat on the wall, clicking little buttons until I heard the vents start to go. When he came back, he jumped on my bed and started staring at me. I'm so short that there still was a bit of space between my feet and where he sat. I wasn't really sure what to do, so I sorta just stared right back.

'What's with the mask?'

I couldn't take the awkward staring anymore, so I looked down at my leg, thinking Oh right, I was stabbed. But still…this is sooo awkward!  
He was just about to ask me something when a million things that seemed to come from somewhere else spilled out of my mouth.

"Where am I? Who are you? What happened? Did you do something to me? Is anyone else here? Why are there curtains everywhere? Why is there a lock on the door? What's in the cupboards? Is this a hospital?"

After looking shocked for a minute, he quickly responded. "Well, I can't really answer most that. But no, you're not at a hospital. Not really, at least. And you brought yourself here."

Oops. He's right. I had dragged myself over that wall and to the manor. But this place just doesn't look like what I expected.. Feeling embarrassed all over again, I said, "Oh, right."

Leaning in closer to me, he said "Anyways, I think I should be asking you some of those questions. So, what's your name? Where are you from?"

Something about him, I don't know what it was, but I felt like I could just tell him everything. I knew I shouldn't, though, so I just sat there and looked at him. He turned his head to the side a little and smirked, raising an eyebrow, and he looked so funny I couldn't help but chuckle a little bit.

"Oooh-kay, well since that's not working, how about we play a game." he said. "You ask me a question, I'll try my best to answer it, and then it's my turn to ask you something. Okay?"

He didn't seem like a bad person, and plus, he was also helping me get some info too, so I nodded and he smiled.

"What's your name?" I asked, since that was the first thing that came to my mind.

He looked down at his clothes and pointed to an "R" stitched into it, and said "Robin. My names Robin." After I nodded, he continued "And now it's my turn. What's your name?"

I didn't want to give him my name. I knew it was the first thing he would ask, seeing as it was the first thing I asked, but I had a feeling there was more to his "Robin" than he was letting on. He must have caught the look on my face, cause he quickly said "Or do you have a nickname or something you go by?"

"Shadow." It was the first thing that came to my mind, even though it was a nickname that my father gave to me. I hated him (I'll get to that later) but I had liked the nickname he gave me, because I realized it was pretty much exactly what I was. I was always a shadow to him, always in the background.

Robin gave me a curious look, but I was still lost in thought about my nickname, so I hadn't noticed.

"Well, Shadow," he said "nice to meet you" and extended a green-gloved hand to shake. I took his hand a little unsurely, but he gave me a firm shake with a smile that I returned without realizing it.


	3. Chapter 3

"Robin"

I watched as Robin's eyes opened wide. He let go of my hand and quickly hopped off my bed, turning to go. When he reached the door, he looked back to me and smiled, said "I'll be right back, but don't go anywhere while I'm gone."

Raising my wrists as far as the bands would allow them, I shot him a 'Are you serious?' look. He chuckled, then I tried to look around the door as he left, but all I could see was darkness. It was closed before I could really focus on anything, anyways. With nothing else to do except sit there, I really started to think about my situation.

'So. Here I am in this strange place…well, some kind of medical place. He said it's not a hospital, but I could've figured that by the way the room is set up. Maybe it's some sort of crazy person hospital. Do they think I'm dangerous, though? I mean, they wouldn't have my wrists bound to the bed if they thought I wouldn't be able to fight back.'

I pulled on the bands with my wrists, testing to see how loose they were. They weren't too tight, but when I pulled hard on them, they wouldn't give any more. I gave up trying to loosen them, but I really wasn't trying to escape, or anything. I was just curious to see what would happen.

'I wonder if they think I was trying to escape… Speaking of "they", who is it that's keeping me in here? I know there's Robin, but he seems about my age, so he can't be in control, right? There's got to be other people out there, watching me. Plus, someone _called_ him out of here, so maybe someone was watching _us_.. Hmm. Maybe they thought I was going to hurt him? Well, _obviously_ not in this state. Anyways, why would I hurt him? He seems so nice..'

That's when Robin walked back in, follow by a man dressed in black armor and a cape. I suddenly remembered 'This is the pair of people I was watching fight! How could I forget I practically followed them back here?'

Instantly, every feeling of fear I've ever had came back to me. No wonder the crimms seemed so reluctant to fight. I sunk back into the bed, hoping that maybe he wasn't in here for me, maybe there was someone else..

I knew it was ridiculous, because I could _see _there was no one else in the room, but I was secretly hoping it was true.

Robin stopped right next to me. He smiled, but after he turned and looked up at the man who stood behind him then back to me, his smile had faltered a little bit. Obviously Robin wasn't happy about something.

Uh-oh.

"Why are you here?" I heard the man ask. When he spoke, there was a slight growl, and I couldn't help but shiver. _Man, this guy is scary!_

I tried to say something, _anything_, but my mouth refused to even open. I looked up to his eyes, immediately regretting it, because what I saw instead of a pair of eyes were two little white slits in his cowl. I also saw two little ears poking up on either side of his head, like a bat. '_Wait..a bat?'_

After giving up on trying to say anything, I just stared at my feet sticking up in the blanket.

Robin sighed after a while, then said "You're being mean!" He gave the bat a little push, which was returned with a sigh, sounding slightly frustrated.

"I only asked one question. And," the bat-man replied "you know this is important."

"Just don't be so _mean _next time!" Robin said, then turned to me. "Don't worry, he's always like this. He's just nervous you're some kind of spy or something."

"_Robin!"_

I practically choked out "_A spy?_" before turning to look away, feeling embarrassed. '_Duh._ No wonder everything is closed off. They didn't want me to see anything because they thought I was a _spy_!'

The bat-man quickly spoke up. "We need to know. We've already checked you over for any bugs or tracers. _Are you a spy?_"

I summoned up enough courage to look at his mouth and shake my head. After a sigh of relief, I heard Robin whisper to the bat "_Told you."_

A few moments later, the bat-man asked "Then what are you doing here?"

I wasn't really sure what to say, but before I could really think it over, my mouth had already started.

"I was watching you guys fight in a warehouse but only because I was fighting there too and you guys looked so cool I couldn't stop and I'm sorry and you had finished and left and I watched you guys leave but then I got stabbed and had to knock the guy out and I thought maybe you could help me cause I saw you were hurt too and I'm sorry and I took a cab out here and hurt myself even more trying to get to wherever I was and I just passed out I'm sorry." I said.

'_Great_. There goes your mouth again, _smarty.'_ Somewhere in there, I started crying, and I whispered "I'm sorry" again before completely breaking down.

Everything just seemed to come flying right back at me. I didn't know _where _I was. I didn't know _who _these people were. I didn't even know how long I had been out for. It was all just so _bad._

I suddenly felt my hands being held by someone. I opened my eyes as much as I could, and saw Robin had cut my bands and was sitting on the side of my bed. He looked right at me, and said

"I'm sorry. We weren't trying to scare you, we just wanted to know. We aren't going to hurt you. Please don't cry, it's going to be okay."

Although I was still crying, the little bit of reassurance helped and I nodded. I looked over to the bat-man, standing in the corner awkwardly, arms crossed over his chest as he watched. Turning back to Robin, I whispered "Okay. I trust you."

I hadn't expected him to hear it, but he must have, because he smiled. Quickly he gave me a hug (which I wasn't expecting at all), then sat back on my bed and asked "Are you hungry?"

The fact that I hadn't eaten properly for about two days had completely slipped my mind, but once he asked, I immediately nodded, almost involuntarily. I was pretty dang hungry.

Robin looked over to the bat-man and asked if they could get me some food. The bat nodded, so Robin quickly hopped off the bed to follow him out the door, giggling a little bit. The man opened the door for the both of them, but before leaving, Robin turned to me and said "Now, don't go anywhere while we're gone" and smirked. I heard the bat chuckle a bit, and as I watched Robin bounce next to the man's side to go, I was reminded of the first time I saw the two of them leave together.


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N Sorry for not updating this for a while. I've been working on other stories, but I hope to keep this one going. I just keep getting more and more ideas of new stories it's hard to concentrate on just one! Anyways, please enjoy, and comments/questions/suggestions are always welcome!**

White Shadows

Several days later, their guest was still there. Bruce sent Dick to watch her, but he always made him wear his costume. He still wasn't completely sure about her, even though he no longer thought of her as a threat. They were still holding her mostly because they wanted to find out more about her.

Most of the time, Robin would sit in the room with her and talk, but whenever she was asleep, he would just watch her through one of the windows. It was nice having someone his age around. Even if he couldn't tell her who he was, he still enjoyed the company. He thought she was pretty cute, too.

Her hair was a darkish color, almost black, but when she shook her head, the light would bounce off it, giving it a coppery color. It was also the curliest hair he's ever seen, with ringlets surrounding her face that seemed to stick out in every direction. Her face was oval shaped, and her jaw was quite prominent, but not too much. She also had a dimple on her chin, which he found interesting, but not funny looking. Her eyes, though, were the most interesting part of her face. At least, that's what he thought.

They seemed to change every day. Some days they would be hazel, with a slight copper ring around the pupil, and a blue half-circle around the copper ring, having the rest be a greenish/brown color. Other days, they would be completely green. Not a bright green, but an olive green. Whichever color they were, though, they always seemed calm. Even though he knew she was as young as him, they were always filled with understanding.

He couldn't always look at her eyes, though. Whenever he did, it reminded him of his moms' eyes, and the way they never looked mean or judgmental. He tried not to think of her when they talked, but he often found himself looking away.

They talked about a lot of different things, but they usually tried to stay away from getting too personal. One time, though, Robin forgot that.

"So, what part of Gotham are you from?" he asked, taking a bite from the sandwich he was holding. She looked at him, then looked away and mumbled something. "Oh, sorry." He said, realizing he must have asked something too personal, but she just shook her head.

"No, it's alright. It's just.." she sighed ".. I'm not really from Gotham. I'm from New York."

Robin, suddenly realizing what she just said, looked up at her with a confused and asked "Wait, if you're from New York, what are you doing in Gotham, of all places?" He gave up on trying not to get too personal; he had to know why she was so far from home.

She continued to look away, then looked up into his mask, wishing she could see his eyes, and gave him the full story. "I..I ran away from my home. Back where I li- where my parents live…life isn't so good. My parents are divorced, but they still live together. They fight constantly. My father is abusive. He was always telling me I'd never amount to anything, saying that I'd never be good enough. That I will never be a daughter to him. Right to my face, he said he wished I was never born.." A tear ran down her face, and Robin wanted to brush it away, but before he could, she did it herself. After a few moments, she continued.

"My mother is the same, except she's always off, marrying another man. She always told me that I'll never be as good as my sister, even though I was a grade ahead of what's usual and had almost perfect grades. Lucy, my sister, is three years older than me. She's failing almost every class she's taking, yet she still manages to be the perfect child to my parents. Sometimes, my mom would come home drunk. She would yell at me, saying things like "You were a mistake!" or "Why are you still here?" I even heard her once telling this to my grandparents, and they would agree with her. Even they said "Lucy should have been an only child. She deserves everything she wants. Why would you _ever_ have another child?""

Again, Robin wanted to reach over and give the girl a hug, tell her she didn't have to go on, but she pulled her knees up to her chest and continued talking. Now, though, sobs were raking her body, and she looked like she was going to be sick.

"It got so bad -sob- that I decided it was time –sob- to go. I knew I couldn't tell my –sob- my family…not that they _cared –_sob-or anything… So I just ran. I took about $250 with me cause I knew –sob- I would need it. I ended up on a train, getting as far away –sob- as possible." She said, tears still streaming down her face.

"It brought me here, but once I got off –sob- I didn't know where to go. I wandered the streets for –sob- _hours_, but when it got dark, I knew I had to find a place to stay. I didn't have enough money to stay at any motels, so I walked until –sob- I found a warehouse. After I checked to make sure it was –sob- empty, I found a place to sleep on the second level. I woke up, even though it felt like I was only asleep –sob- for a couple minutes, and heard voices."

At this point, her face had gone completely pale. Robin moved to sit next to her and put his arms around her. She tensed up at first, but, slowly, she rested her head against his shoulder. He could feel her body still shake, and pulled her in closer. After a few minutes, the she continued.

Ten minutes later, she finished telling her story, how after the men came to find her, she grabbed her stuff and bolted. She always moved from place to place, staying out of danger. But, when she had no choice but to fight, she always managed to get out, thanks to some Tae Kwon Do training she had with a friend back home. Sometimes she would get hurt, but never enough to desperately need medical attention. The reason she found Batman and Robin in one of the warehouses was because she had been chased and followed out of another.

When she finished, Robin was speechless. He wouldn't tell her it, but the amount of pure rage he felt was probably radiating off of him, so much he wondered if she could feel it. '_How could any parents feel that way? Especially about one of their own kids.. Why would they say such cruel things? Right to her face, too.. I thought parents were supposed to LOVE their kids.. How come nobody did _anything _about this? It's just so-"_

"R-Robin? You-you're hurting me." He'd been so caught up in his thoughts that Robin didn't realize she was trying to get his attention. Thinking about her past life made him hold on to her tighter, even though he didn't realize. Robin, feeling guilty, was about to let go, but she must not have wanted him too, because she leaned back into him. He loosened his hug, but still had his arms wrapped around her.

They sat there for a long time, Robin letting the girl cry for the life she once had, while he thought to himself, wishing he could have been there to stop it all from happening.


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N No excuses this time… I've been lazy, and I feel awful about it! I'm very sorry. Suggestions/comments are always welcome! Please, enjoy!**

White Shadows

Several days later, Bruce had finally decided it was time to let the girl leave. He'd heard what she had to say, finding it hard to believe that she was any sort of spy.

Bruce ran a blood test on her, plus a quick background check, and had found that she did come from New York. Her father, a man called Sal Brennan, was a construction worker for some small company. Her mother, Lynn Galwey, was unemployed. The two weren't together anymore; apparently they split after 8 years. The report also stated that they had two daughters, Elizabeth and Catherine. Strangely, though, there were no birth dates, so Bruce had no idea which one was currently in the Batcave.

Something he noticed, though, was that there were _no_ missing child reports. Surely, her family had to know she had left, right? Wouldn't they report it as soon as she had gone? The fact that Sal and Lynn seemed to have done nothing to try and find their daughter- their_ youngest _daughter- disturbed Bruce. What kind of parents wouldn't do what they could to find their child?

Another thing that confused him was how she had survived so long, almost an entire month, by herself, _especially_ in a place like Gotham. She was only a child, a year or so younger than Dick, she had said. '_How could she face some of those criminals?' _Although slightly impressed, he just wished that she hadn't run into any of the major ones. There was no doubt that, had she faced the Joker or Two-Face, she might not have made it out.

Still, after several days of worrying about having an "intruder" in the manor, Bruce decided it was time to let her leave and get her back home. He knew Dick wouldn't be too happy; the two had become quick friends, talking for hours, even if only about battles they've had for the safety of their identities. Bruce even allowed Dick to bring her outside for a couple of hours a day. Of course, she had to be blind folded on the way up from the Batcave and back down, plus Dick had to be in his Robin costume, but they weren't really nervous about people seeing him.

They would chase each other around the huge grounds or pretend to fight each other. They loved showing each other their "moves"; with Dick being an acrobat, most of his were much more advanced than the girls'. She didn't seem to mind though, since she was constantly clapping and cheering him on to do more.

Watching the two kids playing reminded Bruce that Dick was still a child. He knew Dick was having problems making new friends, even after being at school for two years. The sight of the them goofing off and having fun made Bruce's heart lighten, and it hurt for him to think that he was going to be taking away one of his son's only friends.

A small part in his head started to say _'Well, she could stay just a few—No. No, she has to go back home. Her parents might not have done something, but I can't keep her here, and I will not let her roam around Gotham by herself… Yes, she has to go.'_ And by the end of that day, he had come up with a plan on how he was going to get her home.

Bruce knew that telling Dick about his plan was going to be bad, but he didn't think it would be_ this _bad. Robin had been in the med room with the girl when he called him out to talk. It was about noon, and Bruce decided to carry out the plan that night. He knew that if he told Dick earlier, he would have tried to convince Bruce to let her stay longer.

"Dick, we need to talk." Bruce started.

Robin lifted an eyebrow and tilted his head, "About what?"

"The girl"

At this, Robin quickly looked at the girl then back to Bruce, giving him an even more confused look. "What about her?" he said.

Bruce took a heavy sigh, then said "It's time for her to go home."

He expected some sadness from his son; he didn't expect a complete breakdown.

Robin was suddenly shaking his head, his lips trembling. He didn't say anything at first, but after a few seconds, his mouth was spilling words so fast Bruce almost couldn't comprehend what he said. "No! But she can't go home! She says it's awful there and that her parents don't even want her! She even said that her father is abusive! We can't make her go back! It's not safe! We just can't!" Tears were now running down his face, and Bruce quickly knelt to hug the boy. After a moment, Bruce pulled back and held the boy by the shoulders and looked in his eyes.

"Dick," he started slowly. "I know you don't want her to leave. I understand she is one of your friends. But she can't stay here forever, and she certainly can't stay in Gotham by herself. It's not safe _here_ for her. We have to get her back to her home. And I'm sure her parents are worried sick about it. I'm sorry, but she has to go home."

Robin lowered his head, looking to the side. He gave a small nod and whispered "When does she have to go?"

Bruce gave another sigh, saying "I bought her a ticket back home for her tonight. The train leaves at 10:45."

Robin looked up at him quickly, with an even sadder pout on. Tears were still streaming down his face, and the look he had made Bruce want to give him another hug, but he had to make sure the boy understood.

Dick asked quietly "Will I be able to go and say goodbye?" Bruce nodded, and Dick gave him a hug before wiping his tears and going back into the room with the girl. Bruce would tell her later, but for right now, he'd let his son stay with her little longer before it was time to get ready to go.

As 10 o'clock rolled around, Bruce found himself dreading more and more what they were about to do. He knew that it had to be done; they couldn't just let the girl stay there at the manor or in Gotham. He just wished that it wouldn't hurt his son too much to see a friend go.

Telling the girl had gone over quickly. When Bruce went into the med room as Batman, he told the girl that, although her stay hadn't been necessarily unwelcome, it was time for her to go home. She sat there, silent for few moments before responding with a solemn "Okay." He explained to her what they were planning, and she nodded, no disagreement made. Bruce left her, but when he looked back through the window into the room, he saw her curl up and rest her head between her knees, crying.

They were all in the car now, driven by Alfred, on their way to Gotham's train station. Bruce and Dick were in costume, and a divider had been put so the girl couldn't see Alfred. It pained Bruce to watch the two children; the girl was watching the scenery pass while Robin alternated between looking at her and Batman. Bruce knew there was more Dick wanted to tell her, but just couldn't.

As they pulled up to the station, he noticed there were no people outside the building. '_Good' _he thought, _'Now I won't have to explain why Batman and Robin came out of a limo.'_ He didn't want to have to sneak inside.

Batman got out quickly and opened the door for Robin and the girl. Robin got out and moved to stand by his side while the girl grabbed her small backpack and followed. They moved swiftly into the building, pushing past a small group of obviously-tired travelers that gave them strange looks. Batman took out the ticket and held it out for the girl. She took it, and they moved to the T.V screen with the scheduled departures and arrivals listed. Her train would be arriving earlier than expected, around 10:38. When he looked at the station's clock, it said 10:20.

They stood there for a few minutes, silent. Suddenly a voice come over the speakers, saying her train would be arriving within 5 minutes. Robin decided then it was a good time to say goodbye.

"Shadow, I-"

"I have to go pee!"

Batman and Robin looked at her, surprised by her sudden outburst. Batman looked at the clock and saw they only had 3 minutes until her train arrived.

"Can you wait until you get on the train? It'll be here soon and there's a bathroom on it. I don't want you to miss the train." Batman said.

She quickly replied "No!" The girl looked nervous, starting to sweat. "I have to go pee _now_, I won't make it!"

"…Alright. Do you want one of us to wait for you outside?" Batman answered slowly. He wasn't sure why she was getting so worked up about using the bathroom, but he was starting to feel worried.

The girl gave a quick, pained expression before saying "No, I can do it on my own." She started to walk away, looking back over her shoulder once.

It was as she went into the bathroom that they heard the announcer say the train was expected within the minute. "Robin, I need you to go get her, _now. _I'll stall the train." Batman said. Robin nodded, then ran off towards the bathrooms.

As the train pulled up, Batman made his way over to the stretching conductor. He asked him questions about the trains past few stops, trying to get the conductor to have a conversation with him. Every few seconds he would look over to the bathrooms, hoping Robin would come out with the girl. A minute later, he did, but there was no second person.

Robin made his way over to Batman, who had decided the conductor didn't know much; only the speed limit. Batman walked away with Robin, then stopped to ask the question that was burning in his mind.

_"Where is she!?"_

Robin simply responded "Not there."


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N Super sorry for the long wait, been busy with a few trips lately. Hopefully, I can start to update this more frequently!**

White Shadows

Running off to the bathroom.. I guess that's the best excuse my brain could come up with. I want to laugh at the idea of actually sneaking out of a bathroom, but I know I don't have a lot of time. Batman said the train would be there in three minutes, and I couldn't wait any longer. There would be no hope for me once I got on that train. They were sending me home..

'_I can't go home. It's just- not safe!'_ Trying to reason with yourself about why you ran away from a nice gesture is pretty tough.

The fact that Batman had let me go to the bathroom –and by myself- surprised me. I thought he would just tell me to hold it. So when he said okay, I knew it was my only shot at getting away.

Making my way into the bathroom, I start looking for windows. The bathroom is _huge_, larger than any of the ones I've ever seen. The _stench_, though, is what compels me to get a move on it. Something like rotten eggs mixed with old shoes, making me almost vomit. '_Sheesh, don't they ever __**clean**__ this place?'_ As I glance around the room, I notice two windows at the far end.

Running past the stalls, I notice that there's writing on all of the sides and doors. I don't stop to read anything, but I know that if I had, I'd probably learn a few new curse words.

When I finally get to the windows, I realize I'm probably going to have to climb over one of the stalls to reach it. Nudging the stall door right underneath one of the windows, I peek in to make sure that I will actually be able to enter without fear of contracting some unknown disease. Once I made sure it was semi-usable, I stood on the toilet seat and started to reach for one of the sides.

Unluckily, there was some.. _substance _on the seat that I hadn't noticed before. I started to slip when I reached out for the side, and my _stupid_ foot preceded to land right in the toilet bowl. I was about to gag when I realized that my foot wasn't getting wet. I looked down and saw there was no water in it. After a quick thanks to whoever decided to turn the water off, I took my foot out of the bowl and placed it firmly –or as firmly as one can get while standing on a toilet seat- back on the seat. I launched myself on the wall, and used it as a support to crawl over to the window.

Once I got to the window, I sit down and let my legs dangle off the wall. The breeze felt nice, and it certainly didn't hurt that it was no more than ten feet away from the ground below. Bricks were jutting out the side of the building, making it easier to get down. Before I start scaling the side of the building, I take a quick look back at the door.

I really do wish I could have stayed with them, especially since Robin was so _nice_ to me.. It hurts to think that I have to leave it all behind –_again-_ and go all on my own. '_No, I can do it on my own.'_ The words have been burning through my mind since I said them. All I've done since I left my supposed _home _in New York, I was alone. On my own.

A tear runs down my cheek as I realize that, for the second time in my life, I am literally _alone_.


	7. Chapter 7

White Shadows

It's been two days since I escaped from the train station. I'm still in shock over the fact that I managed to get away.

_'Maybe they let you get away. They just don't care enough to come looking for you…'_

Ever since leaving, small voices in the back of my head keep creeping up, reminding me that there hadn't been any attempts (so far, it seems) to try and find me…

_"SHUT UP!"_ I hadn't realized I yelled this out loud until I heard someone shout a "Who's there?" from inside the building.

Unfortunately, I don't really have the time to sit around and dwell over the fact that I keep yelling at someone who isn't there. For the second time today, I find myself by some _stupid crimms_ that keep managing to waltz into the warehouses I'm in. I mean seriously, is it really too much to ask for some alone-time?

When I hear footsteps nearing, I grab my backpack off the floor, sling it across my shoulder, and make a bee-line for the exit.

Once I get to the door, I start turning the knob, but the door isn't opening. I thought maybe it needed a key, until I notice that the door hinges are off. Backing up far enough to run, I sprint towards to door. I may not be a big man, but I can still use some force when I need it.

When I hit the door, it came off surprisingly easy, catching me off guard and causing me to fall with it. Outside the door there's a dark alley, reeking of garbage and waste. The smell makes me want to vomit, but I knew I don't have a lot of time. As I was getting off the ground, I hear someone yell from inside "Hey! You! Stop there!" I look back into the warehouse, squinting in the darkness, only to see the shadow of what was obviously a huge guy. Suddenly, I feel the need to _not_ be here.

_ 'Are you sure you _want_ to be alone?'_

Without a second glance, I sprint off into the direction I'm facing. It's a _little_ terrifying, seeing as I have _no idea_ where I'm going.

After I had left the station, I decided the best thing to do was hide. I thought, at first, about staying in a motel, until I realized it was probably the first place _they _would look. And, the city seemed way too crazy to even _try_ to deal with, so I just went with going to the warehouses along Gotham Harbor. I knew there were a bunch there, too many to go through thoroughly in one night. It was a perfect place to hide.

Once I actually _got there_, though, I realized that my picture of the place was not exactly correct. I mean, I knew Gotham wasn't some sparkling-perfect city, but I had thought at least the warehouses would only hold boats for the summer. Boy, was I wrong.

It seemed that every place I looked in was infested with some sort of rodent. Some places I didn't even dare try, for they were obviously holding some form of infectious disease. It was disgusting, and I had to force myself to stay in the upper level of one that hadn't been as bad. Just thinking about some of the others I'd seen made me cringe.

I heard another quick yell behind me, snapping me out of my thoughts. I've had enough of this guy chasing me.

Making a sharp turn into another creepily-dark alley, I hop over something that looks like a sleeping hobo (_or maybe a dead body_...), pushing myself to go faster as I hear the footsteps just around the corner. I keep running, hoping they won't catch me, when I almost run face-first into a brick wall. I notice a sign hanging on the wall, saying "Dead End."

_'Craaap…Well, thanks for warning me earlier, jerks..'_

I turn around, quickly scanning the alley for some way to escape. I notice a fire escape ladder on the side of one of the warehouses, leading to the roof of the building. As I run to the ladder and start to make my way up, I feel a large hand grip my ankle roughly before yanking me down. I land hard on my back, making me lose my breath for a couple seconds. Suddenly, the huge, dark figure that had been chasing me is looming right over me, and I do the first thing I could think of.

I kick him. _Hard. _Right where I knew it would_ hurt_.

The man let out a high-pitched squeal and moved back, surprised and obviously in pain. I jump off the ground and start my ascent again, this time going twice as fast. Without looking down once, I make my way to the roof. Once I get to the top, I stop to catch my breath. I rest my hands on my knees and lean forward, closing my eyes and letting the small breeze help fill me up with air.

When I open my eyes again, I get a good look around. Realization finally hits me: there's nowhere to go up here. I run to the opposite side of the building and look down over the edge into another alley. '_That's…that's pretty far down.'_

I also realize that, unless I want to deal with the huge man, I have no other option but to jump across the gap to another rooftop. '_Well.. Seeing as that guy probably wants to kill me right about now… I guess I'll just jump over.'_ I chuck my backpack over onto the other roof, glad that I decided to pack light.

I make my way back into the middle of the roof, my heart beat slowly raising. Before I start to run, though, a voice speaks up behind me. "Stop running, you little brat!" Turning around, I see the man slowly making his way up onto the roof. If my heart hadn't been racing before, it certainly was now. I quickly turn around and sprint with all I have, deciding that I don't wish to see the man any longer.

Before I know it, I'm at the end of my runway. My feet land on the very edge of the roof and I jump with all the energy I have in me. Swinging my arms forward, I bring my knees to my chest.

Time seems to slow down. I catch a quick glance at the alley below, and suddenly I feel like I'm flying. The wind seems to help push me over the dark gap of land that lies far down from where I am.

I look up to see that the other roof is almost underneath me, so I extend my legs. With a sudden jolt, my feet land and I fall forward onto the roof. I lay there for a moment, trying to catch the breath I didn't realize I was holding. Small tremors run through my body, though I'm not sure out of excitement or fear. I wish I could stay here, just let myself fall asleep underneath the calm sky, the cool breeze running through my hair. A sob escapes my mouth and I start shiver.

Too quickly, a loud growl sounds from behind me, scaring me out of my stupor. I try to push myself up off the roof but fall back down, my legs no longer supporting my body. Giving up, I just turn my body over onto my back and look across my roof to the other. The man is at the edge, glaring at me. He looks down into the alley then backs up only a few feet, obviously planning on jumping across.

I watch him get into a running stance. He's not giving himself enough room; I feel like I barely made it after running a much longer distance. I try to yell out, to warn him somehow, that he isn't going to make it. The only thing that comes out is a small "Heh," and I can't help but feel angry at myself for not being able to do something as simple shout out.

Angry pricks start to form in my eyes, and I'm desperately trying to get up but my body's having none of it. My shaking from head-to-toe is making it impossible to get my feet under me.

So I just lay there, completely helpless, and watch the man take only two quick lengths towards the edge. He only jumps with one leg, not bothering to swing his arms as he does it, and I already know it's over.

As he jumps, he looks up at me, his face showing the fear and realization of what's to come, starting to scream. Before I can blink, the man is no longer in sight. But I can still hear him, the terrorizing sound becoming slightly muffled as it seems to drag on for minutes, before it stops with a loud _thud_.

My breath catches for what seems the hundredth time tonight, and before I realize what I'm doing, I find myself crawling towards the edge of the building. Inside me, a little hope comes out, because '_maybe he grabbed onto a ladder' _or _'maybe he fell in something to cushion the fall'._ I reach the edge of the roof and look down, quickly finding my hopes completely shattered.

In the alley, the man lies in a heap, mangled and broken beyond repair. Limbs pointed in the wrong direction, his neck turned at an impossible angle. Blood is splattered across the alley, slowly oozing out from underneath him. He's not moving, and it's clear he'll never be able too again.

I turn back around quickly, vomit making its way out of my stomach. Tears are pouring down my face, and I can't help but hunch myself over at the pure guilt and pain I feel.

_'I… I didn't want him to die. I know he's probably a bad guy, but… Why didn't I DO something?! I'm so useless! It's all my fault... all my fault…'_

I curl up into a ball, putting my face in my knees. I'm still sobbing, and it feels like I might never stop… Everything just seems to be too much, and sitting here, not moving, makes the pain almost disappear... I try not to think, but the scene keeps flashing itself back into my eyes…

I've seen dead people before. I've been to funerals with open caskets, but with those.. everything is just so calm..

I've never seen a person actually _die, _though..

_'Until now, that is. And you could have stopped it…'_

I wish I could _scream_, or _move,_ or do _anything_, but my body refuses... I feel a small breeze, and I start to doze.. I know I should be finding shelter, but I _just can't move_…

As I slowly drift off, I hear that little voice in the back of my head..

_'All your fault…all your fault…all your fault…'_


End file.
